Anchoring stories...is yours funny, scary or both?

[Andrea]

As I sit at a quiet anchorage and watch the boats coming in at dusk, I see some boats that come in and set their anchor on the first attempt, others that need to reset it 3-4 times and a few that after the unsuccessful attempts, leave to find a "better holding ground" somewhere else. And still others that ended up frighteningly close to their neighbors at sunrise.

I always wonder what happened and what was said. Sometimes I hear the shouts going back and forth from the helmsman to the person at the bow with the anchor controls. Some of these while stressful at the time, to the onlooker are very comic. Oh if I could be a fly on the boom to get a closer look!

So here it is, the closer look.

What are your classic anchoring stories?

[Mary F]

Anchoring:
No Name Harbor at Key Biscayne is a great place during the week, but on weekends, the locals come to party - and some of them are pretty clueless about anchoring. One 50 foot power boat dropped anchor well off our port bow - simply dropped anchor. In a little while he came floating past us. So he powered forward and again "dropped" anchor. Wasn't long before he came floating past again. After the fourth time he finally left the harbor and we could relax.

Mooring:
In Camden, ME, we woke up at 02:00 to a lobster boat banging against our dinghy davits: Her beam to our stern! The wind was calm and it was slack tide. I don't think that any two boats in the mooring field were facng the same direction. My husband managed to get her off and we fended her off for about an hour until the tide took care of separating us. I grabbed my camera and took photos to show the harbormaster. We had no damage but the other boat had a broken antenna.

It was upsetting to think that the harbormaster had moorings too close together; didn't take into account that sail and power boats don't necessarily swing the same.

[Andrea]

Wow! Good thing you guys were alert! I am happy that it ended okay for you. Thanks for sharing!

[Andrea]

Thanks but no thanks for sharing! ;-) Just kidding. What a scary experience. I cringed at this story and hope that this never happens while I am on board. You certainly lucked out! Wow!

[___/)ances With Sails]

I only hope these ears and eyes ain't documenting my every stumble and grasp for the nekid ass I be chasin about my pocket cruiser whence thy time comes. I'll be searchin for a shallower draft now I know big sister is at watch! (((LMFAO!!!!)) I be gunkholin' no doubt!

Sorry to dissappoint yer watch.

Cheers!

Sail OOOOOOOOOOON!
___/)